The first known professionally printed publication was in 1956 by Ludlow Music.
In 2002, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry
This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the California, to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest, to the Gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
Saw below me the golden valleyThis land was made for you and me
I roamed and rambled, and I've followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
All around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me
When the sun come shining, then I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting
This land was made for you and me
This land is your land, and this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest, to the Gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me
When the sun come shining, then I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving, the dust clouds rolling
The voice come a-chanting and the fog was lifting
This land was made for you and me
Woody Guthrie's song "This Land Is Your Land" is a tribute to the beauty and vastness of the United States of America. The song describes the country, from California to the New York Island and the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters, as a land that belongs to its people. The lyrics highlight the abundance of natural resources that the country possesses, including the golden valleys, sparkling sands, wheat fields, and diamond deserts. The song's tone is patriotic while being a commentary on the inequality and struggles that many Americans faced during the time in which it was written.
Guthrie wrote the song in 1940 when he was living in New York City. He heard Kate Smith's recording of "God Bless America" on the radio, and it inspired him to write a response that reflected his politics and his experiences. Guthrie was an active participant in the labor movement and shared their socialist beliefs. He believed that the United States should belong to all its citizens, not just the wealthy and powerful.
The song's lyrics question the American Dream and the promises it makes, suggesting that the United States is far from perfect. By saying that "this land was made for you and me," Guthrie is asserting that all Americans have a right to the beauty and resources that the land provides, regardless of their circumstances. The song has become an iconic piece of Americana and has been performed by countless artists, including Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan.
Line by Line Meaning
This land is your land, and this land is my land
This land is meant for all of us to share and enjoy equally, regardless of our differences
From the California, to the New York Island
From the west coast to the east coast, this land belongs to all of us
From the Redwood Forest, to the Gulf stream waters
From the natural wonders of the west to the vibrant ecosystems of the south, this land was made for all of us to appreciate and protect
This land was made for you and me
This land was created for every American, and it's our responsibility to cherish and respect it
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
As I walked along the open road, I felt free and inspired by the vastness of this land
I saw above me that endless skyway
I looked up and saw the wide expanse of sky, and felt the boundless possibilities of what we can achieve together
Saw below me the golden valley
I saw the natural beauty of the land, with rolling hills and lush valleys full of life
I roamed and rambled, and I've followed my footsteps
I explored this land on my own, discovering new places and feeling connected to it on a personal level
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
I ventured to the arid regions of this land, which despite their harshness still hold natural wonders that are breathtakingly beautiful
All around me a voice was sounding
As I journeyed through this land, I heard the voices of other people who also feel a deep connection to it
When the sun come shining, then I was strolling
When the sun shone bright, I felt invigorated and renewed, and continued to explore this land
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
I saw the natural cycle of life in the fields and how it is constantly renewing itself, nourishing the land and people alike
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting
As I traveled, I heard the voices of people singing about this land's beauty, and saw the natural fog lifting, revealing more of its glory
The voice come a-chanting and the fog was lifting
The songs of praise for this land grew louder and more hopeful as the fog receded, revealing more and more of its natural beauty
Lyrics Ā© O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Woody Guthrie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ć ćć³ć ć
This land is your land, this land is my land
From [the] California to the [Staten] New York Island,
From the Redwood Forest, to the Gulf stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
And saw above me that endless skyway,
And saw below me the golden valley, I said:
This land was made for you and me.
I roamed and rambled and followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts,
And all around me , a voice was sounding:
This land was made for you and me.
Was a high wall there that tried to stop me
A sign was painted said: Private Property,
But on the back side it didn't say nothing
This land was made for you and me.
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling;
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting:
This land was made for you and me.
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
@TheWorldOfMonika
His guitar literally reads : This Machine Kills Fascists šø
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York island,
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters;
This land was made for you and me.
As I was walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway;
I saw below me that golden valley;
This land was made for you and me.
I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding;
This land was made for you and me.
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me.
As I went walking I saw a sign there,
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing.
That side was made for you and me.
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.
@TheModernHermeticist
This land is your land this land is my land
From California to the New York island
From the red wood forest to the Gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me
As I was walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
This land was made for you and me
I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me
There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me
Sign was painted, it said private property
But on the back side it didn't say nothing
That side was made for you and me
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting
This land was made for you and me
As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said: No trespassing
But on the other side it didn't say nothing
That side was made for you and me
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people
By the relief office I seen my people
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking that freedom highway
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me
@Minchboo
Iām not American, but I wish people there would remember this song, sending lots of love to those who must live in fear from Ireland š®šŖ
@luceroramos977
This song hits differently in our current political climate.
@Welps222
As a Mexican American living in California, here I am listening to this in 2025. Wishing I could live far away from the rest of the world alone in the middle of nowhere and just live happy. Waking up, seeing the beautiful sunshine, having a ranch, feeding the animals while listening to this song.
@paulrivera8099
Brother......... Same i love this country and it's people. But gosh I would love to live in nature ALONE.
@SamuelKoepke-r3o
As the son of a farmer in Southern Wisconsin, we wish the same.
But itās hard to do that when it feels like the rest of the country wants to destroy our livelihoods with economic measures meant to āhelpā us.
@lmfarrell1
ā@SamuelKoepke-r3o I wish more people would make the time to learn more about our country, how to take part in gov', how economics work & be a responsible party to our social contract. You know, just enough to pass the naturalization test would be fine by me. I would love to be ignorant like the ones who hide their eyes from the problems and can parrot nonsense until it makes sense. Back in 2015, when I would tell folks about the other song Woody was known for, nobody wanted to listen. Just kept saying he couldn't win.
@lmfarrell1
ā@SamuelKoepke-r3oI hope y'all weren't the ones caught up in the soybean trade war last time. I pray that you'll be able to weather the upcoming storms & that y'all stay safe. I hope you're not a dairy or poultry ranch right now. š¢
@SamuelKoepke-r3o
ā āā @@lmfarrell1 āI hope youāre not a dairy or a poultry ranch right now.ā
Yeah, about that ā¦.
They donāt call Wisconsin Americaās Dairyland for nothing, and yes, we were caught in the trade war, and weāre going to be caught in this one as well. We resigned ourselves to the fact that we live in a country whose government is by, of, and for the stupid, and took insurance the moment we found out about the election.
@MrMoiisme
I'm French, from Paris, I've hitch hiked and freight hopped the US from Dallas to Detroit, to New Orleans and DC, there's no saying how stunned I was by the generosity, simplicity and personal freedom of the Americans I met...
Such a beautiful country, such marvelous views, such big hearted people... Long Live America the Free
@gswdeclan
This preceded "Fortunate Son" and "Born in the USA" as the song most co-opted by people who had no idea what it meant.